RED CROSS NOTES.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15918, 4 June 1917, Page 2

RED CROSS NOTES.

the enquiry bureau.

(By R.C.)

It may be of interest to the general public to hear how the Enquiry Bureau for Missing and Wounded, in connexion with tho Red Cross, was started in New Zealand, and how it has grown gradually into quite a big undertaking.

In the firet place Mrs Grant, of Geneva, •whose homo was formerly in Christchurch, -wrote to her married daughter, Mrs Nelson, of Hawkc's Bay, telling of the work that was being done by the Croix Rouge of Genera. This was quite at the commencement of the war, and Mrs Nelson, realising at once how it might bo possible to help tho relatives of tho missing, wrote to any whose addresses sho could obtain, telling tbem that sho would ask Mrs Grant, who was on the spot in Genera, to help them in their trouble. One of theso letters -was shown to Mies Todhunter, who -was working at the Red Cross Depot in Christchurch, and having known Mrs Grant many years ago, slio at once got into touch with Mrs Nelson, who gavo her much information with regard to the -work at the Csoix Rouge. This enabled her to begin the work of the Bureau in conjunction with tho Red Cross. The Enquiry Bureaux are recognised all over the world as a branch of the Red Cross work.

With tho help of tho local papers, it was soon made widely known that 6uch a Bureau had been opened at the Central Depot of tho Canterbury Red Cross, and enquiries soon began to pour in, especially after the terrible landing on April iioth, and the battles of August Bth and August 27th,. 1915, when so many of our men were reported missing.

_ Tiie first method of gaining information was by supplying forms and envelopes to be filled in, on the chance of the missing being prisoners. The forms were addressed to the American Ambassador at Constantinople, the Croix Kongo at Geneva, Mrs Grant at Geneva, and the Chief Postal Censor, Wellington. Theso envelopes, enclosed photographs of the "missing," and on the backs of the photographs was written, "If anyone who sees this photograph knows anything *of the whereabouts of the original, will they kindly communicate with ' —-?' " and then the address of the tender. This rather labori s system was sooA abandoned, and all enquiries were then sent straight to Miss Todhunter, who wrote wherever she thought it would bo possible to gain information. As the number of enquiries grew and grew, it was impossible to send them all out in long written lists, so each enquiry was sent as it came in to the Croix Rouge, or the Enquiry Bureau in London, and the long lists were typed and sent out to a 'large number of other places—the Y.M.C.A., the different chaplains at Malta, the Adjutants of regiments, etc., etc. These lists were typed first at the office- of Messrs Duncan, Cotterill and Stringer, and then at tho local Defence Office, until they became so, long, and so many were needed, that it became necessary to havo them printed in long sheet form, 1000 at a time.

A took of enquiries was kept on the table of the Returned Soldiers' Club room .at the C.D.C,, where much helpful advice was given, and it was on the 1 suggestion of th© C.D.C. that the Director of Base Records was appealed to. Both ho and General Robin wrote giving official recognition to the Bureau,-, and the Director of Base Records has visited the Bureau many times and given help in every, possible, way. As the men began to return from the fighting zone a new scheme was evolved, and letters were sent to those returning to Christchurch, who had been in certain regiments, out of -which many men were missing. These letters asked them to call at the Bureau "with the object of going through the lists, and giv-' ing all the help they could. As time went on, and large numbers of men came back, this meant a good deal of time spent in interviewing. Some of the returned soldiers volunteered to help, and one. acted as clerk in the Bureau for a year. The next step was to send lists and letters appealing for help to all returned soldiers all over New Zealand. As each transport arrives, and the names of the returned men are supplied to the Bureau, the lists go, out, *anH often the letters in reply are full of information, which is the greatest possible consolation to the relatives left boliind. - ' In England, the- Enquiry Bureau works in clo,=e co-operation with both the British Red Cross Society and the War Office, employing hundreds of searchers, who work through all the hospitals in England and in the North of France, and at the front in tlio camps an (3 canteens. To describe the nlan nn -which they work would be a lonp business, bill advantage of havinsr thesp soarche*; is obvious. At the front the. information can be obtained as early ns possible from men who have seen the"* comrades fall in action. and before the memory can sot blunted c confused. Our own lists <ro to the I/ondon 73liven71, and have the advantage of their searcliprs. Ps wdll ns .our own system of enquiring from the returning men. As soon-as the rcnlies to putuiirir-- nrrive copies aro sent to the next of lcin. > Some of the rr>nliec are most interesting, often full of symnatt-TT for the relatives. A visit to th'" Bureau, where he -se" for the mture ■ of replies, would re". n y nnv intonated reader, and sufh v>sit« are wrlrom^rl.

Up to the present time the work lias been carried on in such a way tliat the Bureau has been self-supporting. In fart, those in charge of the work have practically earned the greater part of the funds, and not one penny has so far been supplied from the general Red Cross funds. But now that it has drown into puch a big undertaking, and important change are beine made in the Bureau sfnfF, it is nrobable that some nnpeal will have to bo made in the near future, io meet the extra expenses. As other Bureaux have their own >agent<* at the front, and funds which enahlc them to c.iblo d : rer>t to these agents, it is hoped that New Zealand may soon havo the same advantage. One branch of the work in the Bureau is that of forwarding money to be spent on comforts and extras for the prisoners of war, and the secretary has to keer> in touch with the chango of prison camps, etc., and to give all information from the High Commissioner's office that is likely to be of help to the next-of-kin of prisoners. The work of the Bureau is, naturally, very sad, and many of the intervicv/6 the secretary has to undertake are licart-breaking. On the other hand, when there is good news to be given, and information that is likely to relieve suspense, it makes everything seem worth while, and nothing is too much trouble for the Bureau workers. The sadness is occasionally relieved by some extraordinary enquiiy coming in that has nothing whatever to do with Red Cross work. Sometimes the secretary wonders what the public think the tiureau is fori The new honorary secretary, the Rev. 11. Hard, intends to carry on the work on practically the same lines as those laid down by Miss Todhunter. and boj>es to receive the same help on all sides, and the support of a public always generous where our* fizh ting men are concerned, and particularly in connexion with the wounded.